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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 2ND ROUND POOL FMarch 14, 2017Francisco LindorEddie RosarioYadier MolinaSan Diego, California Puerto Rico - 3, Dominican Republic - 1 Q. Francisco, we've been enjoying your hustle and passion in Jalisco all week. Today it seems like you took it to an even higher level. Is this exactly what you dreamed of growing up? FRANCISCO LINDOR: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I grew up watching Yadi, and watching the guys, watching Beltran doing it. So I just wanted to represent my country and do it, you know? I'm doing it for the country. I'm doing it for my family. I'm doing it for my teammates. Why not celebrate? I'm going to celebrate. I'm not disrespecting the game. I'm not trying to disrespect anybody. I'm just going to be myself and I'm going to share with my teammates and our success. Q. Yadier, when we said in our country Carlos Martinez was recognized, but you also coach, after having a home run today, was it very important when you went to the batting cage? YADIER MOLINA: Well, I think Carlos is an incredible pitcher, and I admire him quite a bit. I respect him. He's like my little brother. He pitched great. We actually made two runs, and he pitched fantastically today. I don't know what to say. We had a great strategy, an offensive strategy. We knew we had the champion of the world, and that was our rival who we were playing against, and we did a very good job. Carlos pitched great. Q. Congratulations for the victory. In Puerto Rico, you are being celebrated that you are playing at a God-like manner. YADIER MOLINA: Well, I am so grateful to God for this opportunity and to have this type of game, and the credit I give to actually all my teammates. This victory, we went to play ball and we went to kill it. We executed a great game. Q. Francisco, I'd like to know, how do you assume with Carlos Correa and Baez the responsibility to take in the new blood? How did this change your life with the process last summer with your brother? FRANCISCO LINDOR: Like they said, take the baton. And what the coaching staff does, I'm here to play the game and to learn, and to learn from my teammates and the coaches. And in reality, I haven't been the type of person that wants the spotlight or that I want to be the leader, and you need to lead me. I try to be an example. And if it's the case that the team follows me, well, that's great. But I don't try to focus on that; that I'm going to take the baton, you need to follow me. No, that's not how I function. That's not how my family has functioned. With regard to my sister, I'm so grateful that she persevered. And my mother, she is the center of our family. And from the first day that she told us the information, she was strong. I know it wasn't easy. And the following day I felt like God sent me a message, and life is hard and there are many reasons to actually move ahead and to give thanks to God. And my sister told me I don't have cancer anymore. (Applause.) Well, yes, let's have a round of applause for that. For me, that information was the best information I received in my life. She motivates me every single day of my life, and if she surpassed and survived this, why can't I do the same? Q. Can you please comment in Spanish what they did, the question that Francisco received? That every play you celebrate like it's the last game that you're going to have in your career? And today, you were on top, and you were motivated and inspired. FRANCISCO LINDOR: That's the only way that we could have been able to have this win against the Dominican Republic with passion, and with so much motivation. They are an incredible team. We have to continue. We have to have our pants put on very strongly. Q. Yadier and Eddie, can you talk about his throw in the first inning? The double play at home plate? What kind of throw was that? And, Eddie, can you talk about that throw too? YADIER MOLINA: Well, that was a game-changer right there. I mean, obviously, the momentum changed. He got it going. I knew we had some play on the play. I was hoping to get a good hop, and I did. It was all him. THE MODERATOR: Eddie, do you want to take us through that play? EDDIE ROSARIO: It's my job in the outfield. It's a good play, it's the moment to double play. I threw with everything in my arm. I concentrated to take this guy at home plate. It's for my patria (country). I do everything for my patria. Q. Edwin today a couple times said you've been waiting four years to play this game. I was curious if that was accurate. You've played an awful lot of baseball between these two games and how that makes you feel. Also, were you surprised Nelson Cruz tried to steal that base in the 8th inning? YADIER MOLINA: Yes, I was surprised, yes. But I was hoping for him to go. I was ready (laughter). I mean, it was a good game. Obviously, we prepared ourselves for each game. We faced Italy the other day, and we prepared good, and we got our scouting report and we talked about it. Tonight wasn't anything different. I mean, we knew what's going on because we're facing a good team, and we executed. That's the important thing. The pitcher execute every time, I mean, the whole time. I think we got only one bad pitch to Nelson Cruz over there, and then after that he was all done. We had to give the pitching staff some credit. Q. Were you amused by Javi Baez pointing and laughing and waving to you before the throw? YADIER MOLINA: I didn't know that. I watched my phone after the game, and then everybody was doing some pictures, taking the pictures and everything. It was fun. I mean, I was so excited. It was a good game, good play. I think it was good. I had fun tonight. Q. Yadier, first of all, have the Cardinals ever asked you over the years not to play in this event, and if they have, what have you told them? YADIER MOLINA: They know. They know better (laughter). I mean, I would play for my country every time, every year, and they know. I love to play. I love to be in this situation. I would do it every time. Q. What do you think when you hear people, like Francisco or Javier, Carlos saying, yeah, I grew up watching Yadier on television? YADIER MOLINA: I'm old (laughter). I mean, I'm blessed. We've got some young guys with talent. To be part of this team so young and with the talent that we have, I'm blessed. Q. Eddie, you're also on the 2013 team that made it to the finals. For you, how much did coming back and finally beating the Dominican Republic play a factor in your mind? EDDIE ROSARIO: In 2013 I learned so much. I was a young guy. I had never played Major Leagues, but I lost four games versus Dominican. I came back here to play against Dominican, it's everything for Puerto Rico. You look, Dominican, they never lose. You play for everything. For these guys also. It was a good game today. I feel blessed today. Q. Eddie, even though you're not in the Minnesota Twins camp, just by the way you're playing so well in this tournament, do you think you've cemented a starting job? EDDIE ROSARIO: Yeah, I think so, yeah. What else am I going to do (laughter)? I feel like this is a good opportunity for me for Minnesota to see me. I'm ready to play baseball in the Major Leagues. It's everything. It's everything for me. Q. Can you please tell me about the play from that pitch? What did you feel? What did it represent for the team? How did you calculate it? Obviously there was a very quick runner. How did you measure that pitch? EDDIE ROSARIO: I saw it direct to a strike. That was a very key play. At the moment we had a man on base, one out, and I was already calling it. I was already calling to get him out. And thank God I accomplished that. That's one of the things that made this game so huge. That was my moment in the play of the day. That was the play that made this team great, big, and strong. Q. When everyone gives you credit for the excellent pitch that you've called in this series, do you realize that they're also taking away from the other pitchers? YADIER MOLINA: No. The credit goes to all the pitchers. I study. I study the game. I have an idea what I'm going to call. Now, if that pitcher doesn't execute, obviously they're going to be upset. When they do well, that speaks well to me, and we have to give them credit when they've done an incredible job with us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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